WELL! Investors, both local and foreign, do you think Malaysia is still a safe country to put your money?
Thugs in Johor (a southern state of the Malaysian Peninsula) attacked a bus load of Opposition politicians and the Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, who has the country’s police force in his control says: “There will be no guarantee of security for PKR (Peoples’ Justice Party)’s nationwide Merdeka Rakyat tour. No need for guarantees. It is decided by the people of Johor themselves.”
The statement is just utter irresponsibility.
When a government tolerates and encourages violence, you know the time is up for all, the rakyat (people) and foreigners.
When thugs start looting businesses of people who are Opposition supporters, you can surely expect the government to say likewise: “… it is decided by the people.”
And, for certain, thugs loot without differentiating whether you support the government or the Opposition.
Isn’t it as simple as that?
Can Hishammuddin give even one reason to justify what he said about “it is decided by the people of Johor themselves”.
To a layman like me, it means the people of Johor can do whatever they like, including the use of violence. If not, what do you mean by “it is decided by the people”. What is the role of the police, if it is not about clamping down on violence?
A govt gone mad and a dumbbell in the Home Ministry
Yes! We have a dumbbell for a Home Minister but it also reflects the mentality of the current Barisan Nasional (BN) Umno (United Malays National Organisation)-dominated government.
It has gone mad, paranoid, or however you choose to describe the BN-Umno because it is clearly due to its fear of losing political power in the next general election which must be called latest June.
If the majority of Malaysians continue with its 55 years of political apathy, allowing a corrupt government to continue to remain and abuse its power, don’t complain when you start feeling the economic and social sufferings after the next general election.
Fifty-five years of political slumber is much too long. Wake up and save Malaysia or we and our generations will pay dearly with sufferings of unimaginable magnitude.
And, this is not about race. The people feeling the end of the stick are PKR and PAS (Islamist party) Malays.
It is the Umno Malays who are trying to drive a wedge to disunite Malaysians.
I reproduce below a Malaysiakini report for the unbelievable tolerance and encouragement of violence by the Umno-BN:
Hishammuddin: No safety guarantee for PKR
There will be no guarantee of security for PKR’s nationwide Merdeka Rakyat tour, says Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.
"No need for guarantees. It is decided by the people of Johor themselves.
"I think PKR knows this and can judge for itself from what is happening there," he told Malaysiakini when asked about this on the sidelines of the Home Ministry’s open house in Putrajaya today.
PKR's campaign tour bus was splashed with red paint while on its Johor leg today, the third such incident in the two weeks since it started the tour on Aug 31.
Asked whether he thought so because PKR went into Johor mindful of the risks of being in a state widely considered to be an Umno fortress, Hishammuddin replied that politics was all about taking risks.
"If even the calculated risks are a no-go, that means it is not their place to be there. The people of Johor will decide," said the home minister, who himself is from Johor.
At a press conference earlier, Hishammuddin was also asked to comment on criticism that he had not issued strong statements against political violence.
He replied that he had been consistently making strong statements rejecting the politics of hate, but more important than that was the action taken.
"This is better than empty rhetoric. So what can we see here (at the open house) we are flying the flag, (it) shows that we want peace, and we mobilised the Home Ministry Youth Club... all that are towards ensuring peace while rejecting the practice of politics of hate," he said.
Hishammuddin was also asked to comment on International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed’s statement that foreign investors are concerned about crime, particularly cargo theft and personal security.
He agreed that the issue needs to be addressed, but stressed that the areas that Miti is concerned about are where there is intense development to draw foreign investors, and not Malaysia as a whole.
He cited Pengerang and Iskandar Malaysia in southern Johor as an example, which are being developed under the Economic Transformation Program (ETP).
Expansion of the NKRA
He said he had spoken to the Johor police contingent on the matter, and hopes that the National Key Results Area (NKRA) would be expanded to address the issue.
“God willing, after the soon-to-be-tabled budget, the second phase of the NKRA would be expanded to give attention to the aforementioned considerations (security of investments especially foreign investments) in context of the ETP,” he said.
When asked about the 30 Internal Security Act detainees who are still in detention almost exactly a year after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced its abolition in his eve of Malaysia Day address, Hishammuddin said they were detained before the abolition, so it does not apply to them.
However, he said several detainees have been released prior to the Hari Raya celebrations as they are no longer deemed to be a security threat.
“For me, it (the release of the detainees) depends on the current situation and the threat they pose to national security interests,” he said.
This, he said, would depend on feedback and intelligence from the police and prison authorities.
He added that the government is also in talks with the governments of foreign nationals who are detained under the now-abolished law to work out a deal, so that “the responsibility of ensuring regional stability is shared together.”
MAILBAG
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